Gabrielle's Twins
by skadoo
Summary: An AU story. Gabrielle becomes a mom, again. This was inspired by the alternate timeline in my story, A New Yesterday. This story stands alone, however.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Most of the characters used herein belong in their entirety to Universal/MCA, Renaissance Pictures, and all the powers that be (TPTB). They have been used without permission and no copyright infringement is intended. Please do not copy or cite this story without express permission of the author. Thank you.

**Title:** Gabrielle's Twins

**Synopsis:** An AU story. Gabrielle becomes a mom, again. This was inspired by the alternate timeline in my story, A New Yesterday. This story stands alone, however.

**Feedback:** Is always appreciated, please read and review each story you read on FFN.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to Jinxie for the beta on this and to Mrs. Singing Violin for the partial beta. You helped make this better.

* * *

_Radiant?_ _I most definitely do not feel radiant. And if Xena uses that word around me again, I could cheerfully throttle her._ _No, that's not fair, but_ _I do feel tired, cranky, and awkward. _Gabrielle tilted her face into the cool breeze and tugged her cloak closer around her swollen form as she watched the sun come up, its red light pouring over the horizon.

_It won't be long, and I'll be a mother... again. We have Eve, yet I can't stop thinking of Hope._ _But this is a wanted child, a loved child; it hasn't been forced upon us. No magical or godly influences involved._ With Hope, she hadn't been able to do anything besides endure all of the rapid changes as the banshees, knights, Xena, and everything else swirled around her. She couldn't help compare both pregnancies: how strange was one, how wonderfully normal was the other.

The bard was surprised at how much she delighted in everything: well, everything except for the extreme coddling and light teasing she had to endure, courtesy of the Warrior Princess. Not that it was all bad but she didn't feel like she was contributing enough out on the road; she felt like a burden. Those feelings increased as she felt herself growing in size. _Guess I should have thought about that before we started this_. _But it's not something I can completely regret, even as I worry whether I've made us all more vulnerable to the Olympian Gods. I hoped this would make us harder to find. They'd never guess we'd hide almost in plain sight. They'll be looking for two women and a child, not a multi-generational farm family. Funny how I've seem to come full circle. But maybe I wasn't running from something as much as I was running to something, to her. _

She thought she was going to bite Xena's head off when she joked about giving birth to twins. _Trust Xena to dance on my last nerve, but I'm afraid, and I shouldn't be. _She knew the whole ordeal with Hope had been a bit unusual so it wasn't the labor pains she worried about or even the possibility of twins. _Although I'm not sure I'm ready for twins; I definitely have my hands full with both Xena and Eve._ _I wonder if we can convince Cyrene to stay for a while._ _Together, Xena and I can handle anything, so why am I feeling so apprehensive?_ _We've been through enough odd experiences that I don't know if I'm being silly or if there's truth there somewhere._ _I don't know how her presence will keep something from happening, where would she go without us anyway?_ _I can't burden her with my irrational fears_. _How do you calm fears based on what is probably nothing? Xena coddles me enough; she shouldn't have to worry I'm losing my mind._

The bard reveled in the quiet of the morning; Xena had gone off to hunt while Eve and Cyrene were still asleep. She stretched and rose awkwardly from the log she'd been sitting on, using her staff to help her up. It took her longer to stand than it had to sit down, and she sighed audibly. _Cyrene and Xena will both freak if they realize I took a short early morning walk alone when I'm supposed to stay off my feet. I just feel so restless and I can't sleep. _Her mildly swollen feet had both Xena and Cyrene a little concerned, so Gabrielle couldn't do anything without one or the other interfering or hovering over her. _I'm pregnant, not dying. If I left it up to those two, they'd chew my food for me as well._

Gabrielle was amused with Cyrene; the older woman just beamed approval at her and kept her stocked with bits of food to eat.

_**You're the reason I have my daughter back, sweetie**_. _**You kept her from giving in to her dark side after we kicked her out of Amphipolis, showing her that it isn't so easy to get others to believe you've changed your stripes. We only saw the warlord she'd become after Cortese, and not the girl she'd been before. If it hadn't been for you, I'd have truly lost her then. We didn't see that she was attempting to reach for redemption. Besides, I'm thrilled at the idea of another grandchild. I can almost forgive Toris now. Here honey, eat this…**_

_Between the two of them, it's a wonder I don't weigh three times as much as I did before. _She enjoyed Cyrene's enthusiasm however. She'd not been close to her family since Hope and the Destroyer, and now she had little hope they could venture out to see her family. _Maybe one day I'll make it back to Potadeia._

_Well, no point dwelling on that: it only makes me sad, and I've had enough of the mood swings for now. Hmm, maybe I can get Cyrene to make some of those honey cakes for breakfast..._ _if I can_ _make it back before they notice I'm gone. _She started walking the short distance back to the house. She used her staff as a cane to help steady her as she waddled down the path. Since she was daydreaming, she never heard the figure behind her as arms scooped her up. She squealed loudly, dropping her staff and looked up into a pair of icy blue eyes.

"You're supposed to be off your feet, remember? Besides, it's much too cold out here without some furs."

She tried to justify her actions in one breath before the warrior princess got on a roll. "Xena, I feel fine, I'm not that far from the house, I can see it from here and I'm not cold." She finally slowed down and added, "The baby helps me feel warm."

The warrior smiled at her wife gently. "I know you think I'm overbearing but I won't take any chances, at least not with you and the baby. Okay?"

The bard knew she was partly in the wrong, and rested her head against Xena's shoulder, conceding, "Yes, my warrior nursemaid…"

==O==

Cyrene hurried into the house and held out a scroll toward Xena. "A messenger gave that to me while I was in the village. It's for the healer Carpathia." Cyrene smiled; she still thought her daughter's choice of alias amusing, but she was glad the girls were able to carve out the beginning of some permanence. _Maybe I can visit and see them more. Would it be horrible if I move in? They'll need help with the new baby. This place is certainly large enough._

Xena blanched as she put the carving down and reached for the scroll. Besides her family, only two other people knew Carpathia's true identity. They'd promised to contact her strictly by messenger and only if it was important. She read the scroll with uneasiness, feeling the churning in her gut. Cyrene casually stood next to her daughter trying not to be tempted to read over her shoulder.

Gabrielle looked up, from the story she'd been reading to Eve in time to see Xena casually toss the scroll in the fireplace. Xena said nothing as she picked up the pieces of wood she'd discarded earlier. Cyrene lunged and plucked the scroll out of the fire managing to grab it before it was destroyed.

"Mother, drop that! It's none of your business." Xena grabbed at the older woman but missed.

Cyrene succeeded in hopping backwards out of Xena's embrace. _Why would she burn the message after she read it? Is she going to ignore it?_ She slapped the flames out and was delighted to see that the scroll had not been destroyed and was still legible. She knew Xena could grab her at any moment. Only the warrior's respect for her mother kept her from snatching it from her mother's hands and eating it.

Her eyes widened as she read aloud. _That beast... Why isn't she running out to the barn to saddle Argo? _She looked up, puzzled, reaching out and touching Xena's arm._ "_Hercules and Iolaus need your help to stop that animal Holeidas, as well as his men. Why don't you just...?"

Xena tensed up and interrupted in a flat tone, "I can't."

She shrugged her mother's arm off her shoulder, plucked the scroll out of her hands, and turned to walk back to the fireplace. Cyrene looked at Xena quizzically as she tossed the scroll back into the fire. "What do you mean? You can't or you won't? Even _I've _heard of that monster, Xena," she said sarcastically. "Those people need help. Hercules wouldn't ask for your help if he and Iolaus didn't need you."

"No, I won't go." Xena's eyes sought out Gabrielle and Eve. She angrily turned away from her mother as she tried to ignore Cyrene's continued pleas. She stood near the fireplace with her hands tightly gripping the back of a chair.

Gabrielle eased Eve off her lap and carefully stood up. She walked over to Xena and placed a hand lightly against her shoulder.

Cyrene could see the pained expression on her daughter's face. _What is going on?_

Xena clenched her jaw and turned her head to gaze at the fire. She spoke while looking into the flames, "How soon do you think it would be before someone realized who I am? And how long after that would someone put two and two together and find my family...?" Xena raised her voice, "We're trying to stay anonymous so that Eve has a chance to grow up without my sordid past interfering or the Gods of Olympus at our throats."

Gabrielle tucked her head under Xena's left arm, leaning lightly against her. She could feel the tension in the warrior's body as she rested her right arm in the crook of Xena's back and put her left hand up to her lips to silence her.

"You taught me about the importance of the greater good."_ Guess she won't be here for the birth after all._

Xena removed Gabrielle's hand and placed their hands on the bard's midsection. She felt the baby kick. "You need me here; I can't go. My family must come first." _Well, maybe that'll end that discussion._ Xena looked down to see Eve glued to her right leg, and smiled down at their daughter 's eyes were like saucers._ She hates when we argue. _She walked forward; dragging the weight on her leg as she firmly tugged a reluctant bard back into her seat. She dropped to her knees and knelt by the chair as she gathered Eve into her arms. She hugged the child and rested her chin on top of her head, lightly rubbing her back. Eve was almost purring with contentment. An affectionate child, she could never have enough hugs from either of her mothers and the warrior was happy to indulge her, especially because it calmed her too. Xena leaned her head against the arm of the chair.

Gabrielle ran her fingers lightly through Xena's hair. "Like Mom said, they wouldn't ask for help if they didn't need it. And you owe Hercules for his help against Zeus."

Xena groaned.

Cyrene felt like she was intruding and quietly ushered Eve out of the room as the two women continued talking.

The bard continued, "How long before you'll have no choice but to fight them here? You'll be faced with trying to defend your home and your family, including a very pregnant woman, or infant, as well as a five year old. Mom might be able to help you but either way, I won't. And even if you succeed, at what cost?"

_Gabrielle is much too persuasive when you are looking into her eyes. _Xena had learned years before to avoid looking at the bard during an argument if she had any hope of winning. The warrior looked pained as she looked down at her feet and irrationally tried to think of something, anything to say. "Tell me you honestly want me to go to Therapolis." She felt almost smug. _I know you don't want me to leave your side to go anywhere._

"They need you, you should go." _Doesn't matter what I want_. She tried to keep it light in an attempt to mask what she feared so she let a grin creep into her voice, "I know I wouldn't trust anyone else to stop a band of smelly, dirty, idiotic, blood thirsty warlords but you. I'll be fine. If necessary, Milos can take care of me. And you need to stop them long before they get near here."

"You're urging me to go? Even though you're afraid and you really want me here when the baby is born."Xena could see the bard's jaw drop in surprise, as blue eyes met green. "Gabrielle, you talk in your sleep. I know all about your fears, rational or not. So how can you urge me to go?" _So, am I indulging her fears or my own? _The thought of putting her family in danger, of not being here to protect them, sent a wave of nauseousness through her.

Gabrielle decided she didn't want to give voice to her overactive imagination so she didn't address her partner's revelation. "I can ask you to go; to serve the greater good... you taught me that Xena. We've never shied away from it. Besides, you said I had almost another moon cycle to go before this baby is born. Plenty of time for you to get there, kick some warlord butt, and return with no one the wiser of who you are or of where you live."

"I don't have to fight, we can always..."

Gabrielle interrupted and grabbed Xena's wrist in a tight grip when she'd tried to turn her head away, "Run? Do you really think we could run away? And if

we tried, how far do you think we would get? I'm not exactly in shape for a long run, ya know."

==O==

Gabrielle sat near the fireplace as she lightly rubbed her belly. She fidgeted as she felt a mild contraction. _It's been almost a week since she's been gone. I've _been_ having irregular contractions for days._

Xena had reluctantly agreed to go to Therapolis, but not before assigning Eve to be her watchdog and lecturing Gabrielle to watch her health. She extracted a promise, from Cyrene, that if she wasn't back in a week they would go stay with the local heater, Milos and his pregnant daughter. Xena decided to switch horses and not take Argo so they could use the canny steed to ride to the healer's hut.

_**Xena leaned down to kiss her goodbye and then sighed. Gabrielle**_ _**carefully kissed her back slowly, wanting to savor the kiss so it would last until the warrior's return.**_ "_**The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back and you said it yourself, we need you here. Please hurry back." **_

_**Gabrielle had the difficult job of physically restraining Eve as they both watched Xena ride off down the road, without them**_**. **

_I hope this is the last time we have to be parted. _The bard looked up, from her reverie, as Cyrene interrupted her thoughts by laying a hand on her shoulder. "I think we should leave for Milos' now."

"I'm fine. You said this happens with some women, irregular contractions for days before giving birth. I've got plenty of time, right? It's just my body getting ready."

"We need to leave while we can still travel. I think there's a storm brewing; I want us to stay ahead of it. I'm afraid if we don't leave now we won't be able to get to the healer's hut when we need him. I might have taught Xena the basics in healing but I'd rather be with Milos, just in case. No point in taking any unnecessary risks."

==O==

The sight of the healer's cabin was a welcome one for Cyrene. _I'm so hungry! It's just about time for the mid-day meal._ _And I'm sure these two are just about spent. _

Eve was sitting on the wagon with her arms wrapped tightly around Gabrielle, looking up adoringly as the bard spun one of her captivating stories. Cyrene questioned her wisdom in dragging a heavily pregnant woman and a child out into what turned out to be the beginning of a horrible storm. _Of course, it wasn't storming when we left. And I was right even if my timing about the storm was wrong. _She feared Gabrielle was starting to get ill. _I hope she doesn't pay for my mistakes; we should have headed out the day before, _she thought grimly. Cyrene gasped as she finally saw what was lying in front of Milos' house.

Gabrielle looked up at the sound from Cyrene. She could see two figures sprawled in the snow surrounded by a black pool that could only be blood. She used her staff to help her out of the wagon.

"Eve, honey, you stay here," she said firmly.

The child opened her mouth to protest. "But Mimi, I want…"

Frantic, she reiterated, "Please, just stay here. Don't go in the house." Gabrielle stacked a few furs so that they kept Eve warm as well as hid her in the wagon and followed after Cyrene.

As Cyrene walked closer, she could see one of the figures was Milos. _A kind man, his valuable knowledge wasted at the hand of some violent village idiot. Warlords don't normally attack this area. Are his daughter and unborn grandchild dead too? Why attack them when they had nothing worth taking? At least it looks like he killed one of the bastards. Rest in the Elysian Fields, Milos._

The two women entered the house to find it in shambles; another body lay on the bed. As they approached they recognized the woman facing them. She was lying across some furs covered in blood.

_Oh,_ _Alesandra!_ Gabrielle had to fight down the urge to retch.

The two women had enthusiastically compared pregnancies whenever they saw each other, realizing their children would be born around the same time. The villagers had jokingly referred to the two women as twins. They looked like sisters, especially since both were blonde and shared a similar build.

Hot tears rolled down Gabrielle's face as she put down her staff and tried to sit on the bed so she could examine the injured woman. Cyrene beat her to it and frantically tried to feel for a pulse, her body still felt warm. She gasped, "Alesandra's still alive, but barely." _I'm not sure what we can do besides be with her until the end. _

The bard took her friend's hand and tried not to dissolve into tears. _That could be me lying there._

Alesandra managed to gather the last of her strength to plead, "Save my baby," before she died.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I split the last chapter into two parts so this story will have a total of three chapters.

* * *

Chapter 2 – Gabrielle's Twins

Gabrielle choked down her tears as she gazed upon her friend. _We don't have time for me to wallow in my grief._

"Mom, give me your knife," she said, frantically as she thrust her hand out.

The older woman rapidly slipped the knife from her belt and handed it to her.

The blonde swallowed the lump in her throat and quickly moved the woman's clothing out of the way. _I can't possibly harm her any further._ Gabrielle uttered a quick prayer to Eli's God, to steady her trembling hands as she began. _I have to do this quickly. _The sight, of the blood as it seeped over her hands and onto the bed, made her mind reel. She bit her lip in concentration, trying to focus solely on granting Alesandra's last request and not at the sight of her clumsy butchery.

Cyrene sat, mouth agape, alternately repulsed and fascinated at the same time. She wanted to help but felt frozen with indecision.

A pain in her abdomen made Gabrielle think, _I wonder if I'll be the one on the other side of the knife soon? I hope I'll have someone much more skilled than I am. I've made such a horrible mess of this. _

Cyrene watched with horrid fascination as Gabrielle lifted the child from the womb. _Was all of this business a waste? Will we have to bury her next to her mother and grandfather? It's difficult to keep a child alive after the mother dies in childbirth._

Gabrielle quickly cleaned the child's mouth and nose then desperately massaged her small limbs. "Breathe!" she hissed under her breath. She placed her mouth tightly over the infant's nose and mouth and blew two quick, shallow breaths. Her heart leapt in her chest when the baby finally started to mewl.

"You did it!" Cyrene marveled as she picked up the baby, finished cleaning her, and wrapped her in a blanket.

The bard huffed, emotion choking her words, "In a way, Xena did it. Everything I did, I learned from her." Gabrielle ran her finger over the baby's tiny fist, "I promise you, little one, we'll love you like our own." She surrendered to her feelings of sorrow and relief and collapsed into a fit of tears. _I'm so sorry, Alesandra, I wish we could have saved you, for her sake._

==O==

Eve was tired of waiting outside and glanced across the yard toward the house. _It's no fun sitting here. _She slowly peered out from under the furs and looked out. The absence of everyone, as well as the quiet, made her bold enough to push further out from under the furs. _I hope Mimi or Yaya come outside soon. It's cold out here and… creepy. _She exhaled loudly. _I'm supposed to say here_. She thought she heard nickering and turned toward the sound. _What's that noise? Ooh, there are probably horses in the barn. Mimi said not to come in the house but no one said anything about the barn. It would be warmer in there than out here._ The young child jumped out of the wagon. _I'm a big girl; I should int… interva… investa… check it out._

Eve walked towards the barn and pulled mightily to open the barn door.

Two strong arms seemed to come from nowhere, one scooped her up and the other was clamped around her mouth.

She saw a smug looking man holding a bag of dinars.

"Whoa, ho! What have we here?"

Unfortunately, she'd encountered the remaining group of bandits in the barn.

==O==

Xena was on her way back home. She'd stayed just long enough to help Hercules and Iolaus by ensuring Holeidas would never lead another bunch of goons or anyone else ever again. She'd given them a brief abashed explanation for her need for a rapid departure and mounted her horse. After accepting their hearty congratulations on the pending addition to their family, and on the streak of domesticity, she left. _It's been a very long time since I've been teased like that. I miss it. It was almost like being with both my brothers again._ She sighed. _Now I just have to hurry up and get home. If I had Argo, I'd probably be home by now. I can trust her to stay on the path while I take short catnaps. Gabrielle's horse may be good, but she's never been trained as a warhorse. An error on my part, I'll have to rectify it as soon as I get home. Argo could have shaved precious time off my return trip._

The warrior smiled and almost laughed when she realized she missed her horse almost as much as she missed the rest of her family. She sobered for a moment. _Let me be wrong… but I have this feeling that something is wrong at home. _That thought spurred her on.

==O==

Gabrielle flinched as she felt another contraction. She felt sick as she lay in the back of the wagon and tried to sit up. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly in an attempt to keep from being ill. It's bad enough to be jostled continuously but add on shivering in the cold while in labor and this really takes the cake. _I wish Xena was here… I'm sure I have a fever and I don't have the proper herbs to cure it. Dammit, if things were different, I could have taken out those four goons with my staff, even with Eve hostage._

The blonde wriggled in her furs in an attempt to get more comfortable. _Why can't I give birth at home like other women? First a barn and now a wagon... Xena probably won't be back for at least another few days. Will she find us in time before they kill us or sell us to the slavers? No, they'll keep me alive, at least for now. They'll need me to feed the babies. At least until they find a wet nurse. And here I thought my fears were absurd. But I never could have imagined this. Please, if I die during this ordeal… let it be beneath the stars I love so well. _

Cyrene hopped up into the wagon and looked at the younger woman with concern, reaching over to put her hand on her forehead. Gabrielle opened her eyes. In spite of the cold, her skin was warm and her face was covered in a light sheen of sweat.

The older woman looked at her with concern, "Honey, are you okay?"

"No," Gabrielle groaned. She tried a weak smile but instead leaned over the side of the wagon and was sick. _Ugh, that stew those idiots fed us didn't taste all that great going down, let alone coming up._ "Mom, do you think this baby is coming tonight?"

"That would probably be the best thing right now." Cyrene used the water skin and a strip of cloth to help the blonde rinse her mouth and wash her face. "Have you noticed, sweetheart? We're taking the path away from the village that passes close to the farm. Ultimately, that should help Xena find us."

==O==

"Looks like this little side trip of Delios' for his personal bit of revenge was a good idea, huh? And you thought it was a big waste of time. Lucky for us, that stupid fool got himself killed while settling the score! I hate sharing the spoils."

The other henchmen snorted and one laughed heartily. "Just think of the dinars we'll fetch for this bunch on the slave market! Soon we'll have two babies to auction off!"

The guards continued laughing and making plans as the wagon traveled down the main road.

==O==

Gabrielle paced unsteadily around the makeshift camp, using her staff in her right hand for support as she leaned against mother-in-law on her left.

The older woman supported the bard while rocking Alesandra's baby in her arms.

"I'm glad you managed to convince the guards to stop." _I feel so crummy._

Cyrene huffed, "It wasn't my persuasive powers. If I hadn't reminded them that it was in their best interest to protect their investment they would have ignored me or perhaps run me through with a sword and continued traveling." _She needs to deliver that baby soon before she gets much sicker. This weather and stress can't be good for either of them. And being kidnapped isn't any good for any of us…_

"Mom, are you sure all of this walking is supposed to help?" Gabrielle asked wearily.

"Uh huh." She bounced the baby in her arms in an attempt to quiet her. "I think this one is getting hungry again. I managed to feed her some softened bread, soaked in water, earlier but that won't hold her for long. I don't have any soup nor any cow or goat's milk. But you should nurse the baby, it will make your labor progress a bit faster."

The younger woman stopped and looked at her incredulously.

"Her suckling will help your pains progress. It's an old midwife's trick. Here let me help you." The older woman shifted the baby to her other shoulder and helped the blonde lean against a nearby tree. She used the blanket draped around her to give the younger woman a modicum of privacy.

The bard looked exhausted, "I really wish Xena were here to help with… Ow!" The blonde gasped when the baby latched on.

After a few minutes the baby stopped suckling and seemed to drift off to sleep. Cyrene helped Gabrielle adjust her clothing and took the baby back into her arms again. "Maybe you should lie down in the wagon. I'll go talk to the head… er, moron."

The bard graced her with a small smile in acknowledgement of her mother-in-law's small attempt at humor.

The older woman suddenly realized that she hadn't seen Eve for several minutes. _She left to make use of the bushes. Could she have gotten away? Maybe she can get some help. We're so close to home from here. The longer I don't draw attention to her, the better. Run, Evie run!_

One of the goons walked up to them and gestured toward the blonde's mid-section. "Do you think you could… pop it out already? We need to make better time now that the weather is getting better." He turned his head, spat and then wiped his face with his arm.

Gabrielle looked up, the fury that flickered across her face made him take a small step back.

Cyrene angrily stepped in between him and the pregnant woman, interrupting Gabrielle's pending tirade to add one of hers. "Look, buster…" She punctuated each _you_ with a punishing jab to his chest. "If you think it's so easy, you've got another thing coming. Don't you dare bother her or you'll answer to me!"

The man stood there a moment, blinking fuzzily in confusion. As he shuffled away he thought, _what happened? I use to be so… intimidating._

Cyrene walked over to the thug sitting by the wagon as she jiggled the baby on her shoulder. _I've got to get them to move the wagon closer to the fire. Gabrielle should give birth off the cold hard ground._ Her mind drifted to Xena for a moment. _Every minute we delay gives her more time to find us. Please find us honey_. Her earlier optimism, about Eve, was short lived.

The small voice was only a few feet away from the bard when she heard the angry retort.

"Hey, get your hands off me!"

Both women turned from their separate vantage points and watched in dismay as a small figure, was held up by the collar kicking and squirming.

The burly henchman sneered, "I'll show you what we do to those who try to escape."

Eve was like a whirling dervish as she persisted in trying to bash at the man but her shorter arms failed to make contact.

The blows seemed to echo across the camp as he struck the child repeatedly in retaliation for her insolence.

Gabrielle was beyond livid. She didn't think; she reacted. _I'll be damned if I watch a grown man beat my daughter. _

He tossed Eve aside when he saw the blonde take a swing at him.

The bard used her staff to jam the man in the stomach and then knock him to the ground. She managed to land an additional few blows but was over balanced in her zeal. The brute grabbed the end of her staff and used it to knock her off her feet. The pregnant woman grunted loudly as she as she landed hard on her side.

The oaf speaking with Cyrene turned to look at the commotion. He yelled out to his companion, "Hey remember, don't damage the merchandise!" He started running toward the melee.

The older woman slammed her shoulder into the goon, shoving him toward Argo. Then she made a clicking sound, as Xena had taught her to do, to signal the warhorse. Argo's hoof connected with his temple, killing him instantly.

Before he could finish hitting the ground, Cyrene placed the baby down in the wagon. She grabbed the axe as she ran past the woodpile.

Gabrielle instinctively tried to curl herself up into a ball, drawing her legs up, and wrapping her arms around her torso. The thug's first two kicks landed on her back as she tried to roll out of his way. She continued to resist his attempts to subdue her and was able to succeed in using her feet to knock him off balance.

He recovered before she could completely scramble out of his reach and managed to inflict one last punishing blow to her head.

Gabrielle lay still as her world went dark.

* * *

AN: I viewed several sources regarding nipple stimulation/breast feeding to stimulate labor as well as one on infant feeding before formula was invented (Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society)


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3– Gabrielle's Twins

* * *

As Cyrene ran towards the scuffle, the small jumble of arms and legs, that was her granddaughter, launched herself towards Gabrielle's attacker.

Eve sank her teeth into his leg as her momentum knocked him to the ground. She held on with all her might and bit harder.

The oaf yelped loudly and kicked out, slamming the girl into the mud. He stood up, angrily grabbed his sword and raised it over his head planning to split them both in two. Suddenly he stopped and fell over with a startled reaction on his face, and an axe handle protruding from his back.

_It's not the first time I've saved a daughter with an axe. _Cyrene stood behind him triumphantly but failed to see the two goons running up behind her to enact their revenge.

"Ayiyiyiyiyi!" echoed throughout the camp. The sound seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

The resonant war cry made the two men freeze in their tracks. Their slight hesitation saved the older woman's life.

Cyrene dove toward Eve and scooped the girl up into her arms. _Xena can be scary at times like this._ She tucked the child's head against her breast and comforted the bruised girl in a bear hug.

Both men looked at each other with fear and dread.

"Wait a minute, I thought Xena was dead?"

"No one's seen the warlord, Xena, in almost ten years."

"She's supposed to have joined the side of the greater good or something back then but I thought that was just poppycock.

The beginning of her once familiar blood lust began to course through the warrior princess as she rapidly surveyed the camp. She growled, "Didn't anyone tell ya not to mess with my family?"

They started at her, nearly bug-eyed.

One of them tried swallowing what felt like chunks of spit in his mouth, "Your_… _family?!"

"We're dead men."

As she jumped off her horse, the too-still form of the bard lying on the ground froze her gut and cost the two ruffians their chance of being dragged before a magistrate - alive. The warlord was back, she would take no prisoners.

The first bully tried a false, yet futile, appeal to her now nonexistent mercy before trying to attack. As he lunged forward he said, "How were we supposed to know…?"

Her berserker rage burst forth as she grabbed her chakram and sent it spinning towards the fool.

His words were still incomplete, and hanging in the air, when the chakram struck him.

Xena didn't pause as she flipped up and over the dead man, landing between the second bandit and her family.

He was both faster and more stupid than his companion and managed to parry with the warrior princess briefly before she finally thrust her sword into his chest.

She put her foot on his body and twisted her blade as she satisfactorily yanked out her sword. Xena nearly sneered as she thought, y_ou're both lucky I can kill you only once. _The satisfaction she felt, at the blood on her hands, was evident on her face. She quickly retrieved her chakram and turned around. _Now, I need to see to my family._

Xena was startled when Eve broke from her grandmother's embrace and jumped into her arms. In her warrior's fog, the sight and weight of the girl momentarily confused her and she struggled to get her bearings. "Eve?" She recovered momentarily and dropped her gore encrusted weapons to hug her daughter fiercely. The child's touch settled her and helped Xena push all traces of her bloodlust aside.

She put Eve down and turned to face the figure lying in the snow with uncharacteristic trepidation. Xena counted on her warrior persona to lend her strength at times like this. She fell heavily to her knees, her hands trembling. _Please… don't let her be dead_. She reached out and tried to dispassionately assess her wife's injuries, but tears kept obscuring her view. The warrior hated this moment of naked fear and angrily raked her face with her hands in an attempt to clear her vision.

_Is that the sound of a baby crying? _ _I must be imagining _it. It took her a moment to realize that it was real. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at her mother in mute confusion.

"Alesandra's daughter. Long story..."

Xena nodded her head briefly. "I…" She took a deep breath, "We need to get Gabrielle inside away from the cold, where we can nurse her back to health and help her deliver the baby.

Cyrene volunteered, "I think your farm is the closest place." _We need to bring her fever down quickly; it'll sap her strength as her pains progress._

Together both women managed to feed Gabrielle a bit of a healing and pain relieving draught before they continued on their journey home.

==O==

Gabrielle's fever induced hallucinations lent their movements urgency as they brought snow into the farmhouse to melt for water.

With Eve's help, Cyrene started a fire in the outer room using the kindling left in the fireplace. She retrieved the cradle and lay Alesandra's baby down.

The warrior was furious at the number of bruises she noted on her wife's body as she gave her a quick sponge bath. The fevered warmth emanating from the smaller woman's body made the warrior princess want to cradle her head in her hands in mute frustration. _This should bring her fever down._ Xena applied a salve on the wounds and dressed her in light shift.

Eve ran circles around them alternating between being helpful and being a nuisance. When she asked, "What's wrong with my Mimi, why is she mumbling like that?" her grandmother led her aside.

"You need to leave your Mom alone, honey, while she tries to make her better. She needs to concentrate."

"What if she can't make her any better? Will she die?"

Cyrene turned toward her daughter and noticed her visibly react as if she's been struck. _This is one of Xena's fears brought to life. _ "Shh, Eve. Don't worry." She held open her arms as the girl crawled into her lap. "She and the baby will be fine. She's just real sick but we're gonna help her get better. And right now it would help if we got out of the way."

The warrior clenched her fists in apprehension. _Face it, if it was anyone else, you would have taken your knife and delivered that baby by now. _

Gabrielle's labor was continuing to progress. But her thrashing and continued fever ravings disheartened her wife.

_What I did earlier seemed to lower the fever but it appears to be back up. Her injuries… an incision could raise the chance that she could get an infection and die because of her weakened state. The fever isn't good for either of them and I'm not sure if in her delirium she can push the baby out. Can I face telling her that my indecision cost her our child? I risk both with my dithering. I need to take action. I need decide. _

Xena administered a stronger medicinal brew, rose from the chair and went to get her mother. "Mom, I need your help."

The older woman nodded her head and left Eve to watch the baby.

Cyrene arranged the supplies for the coming birth: hot water, clean knives and as many clean rags as she could find. _We didn't really need to use these earlier._ She tried to surreptitiously gage her daughter's emotional state. _She's probably had little sleep since she left to help Hercules and Iolaus. She's our only healer but who heals her? She needs rest… she needs peace. She needs Gabrielle._

Xena took a moment to calm her trembling hands and steady her mind. She wondered aloud, "Am I trading Gabrielle's life for the child's?"

Her mother tried to comfort her and put her hand on her shoulder, "I know you usually feel better dealing with an enemy you can vanquish with a sword. This must be difficult for you. But aren't these the same actions you'd take to save someone else's family? You can do this, for you and for her. You can save them both." Cyrene dropped her hand when she realized that she wasn't sure who she was trying to bolster._ Are the words meant to encourage me or her?_

Xena recognized their mutual anxiety and tried to help calm them. For a moment she tried to pretend that it was someone, anyone else, that she had to subject to her knife. She drew on her experiences as a healer, _how many times have I done things like this while instructing another?_ She started narrating and explaining her actions becoming a healer-teacher and shedding her warrior persona, "I gave her stronger medicine for the fever, the bruises and the pain. I'll take the baby before the herbs affected the child. Normally, I'd probably use hypnosis to manage the pain but I can't do this here. I'll need you to monitor her and let me know if she seems to be conscious of what we're doing. I'm using pressure points to dull the pain of the incision; I don't want her to wake up in the middle of it, in excruciating pain."

"This is different from what I've seen before."

"I know you've done some midwifery but you've never told me you'd... Which healer were you observing?"

"Gabrielle." Xena's head popped up in surprise.

"She saved the baby after Alesandra died. We arrived at Milos' house just before she passed. Alesandra must have realized we could do nothing for her and begged us to save her child. When I congratulated Gabrielle she told me, that in a way, you did it. That everything she'd done she'd learned from you."

Xena blinked back the wetness from her eyes and smiled briefly at her mother. She took her knife and efficiently made the cut, concentrating on keeping her hands steady and working swiftly. "Put your hands in there, peel back the first layers. Yes, like that."

Xena lifted out the baby and could see the head covered with a shock of dark hair. Her voice was thick with emotion as she said, "Oh, Gabrielle. It's a boy!" Her eyes filled with tears of joy as she deftly took the knife, cut the cord and self-knotted it. The baby's lusty cries filled the room as he was placed briefly on his Mother's chest.

Xena sewed Gabrielle's wound closed deftly as Cyrene picked up the new baby and cleaned him up.

Eve crouched in the doorway and peeked in, soon after hearing the baby cry. She watched quietly afraid to come in. When she couldn't stand it any longer she finally asked, "Can I see?"

Her grandmother looked up when she heard the question then motioned her over.

The girl shyly went to stand closer to the bed. She looked at the new baby as she idly played with Gabrielle's hair with one hand and stroked his arm with the other.

"You have a new baby brother." Both mother and daughter hugged each other in relief as they watched the sleeping blonde.

"Is she gonna wake up?"

"I sure hope so." _I don't know what I'll do… what we'll do, if she doesn't..._ "She needs to heal right now and get stronger. I gave her something to help her sleep, so it will be a little while."

==O==

Her mom helped clean up and put away the medical supplies as Xena finished tucking Eve into bed. She'd finally been able to apply a salve on Eve's wounds as well as give the child some herbs, and something to help her sleep. _She had a few cuts and_ _bruises but not nearly as many as the bard. _She brushed the hair off of Eve's forehead and kissed her gently. _Geesh, we settled here to try and give you a more normal life and instead you've seen more violence in the last few days than... I almost lost you too. I hoped I'd better protect you better from the consequences of being my daughter. I'm sorry Eve but you have a destiny we won't be able to escape just, maybe, postpone. And from everything Mom told me you were so brave and tried to help fight. We're gonna have to teach you how to use a staff or something very, very soon. _

==O==

Xena and her mother spent the long hours together waiting by the bed for the bard to wake up as they kept vigil. She busied herself by caring for the two infants with Cyrene, stubbornly refusing to grieve for a woman who was not dead yet, even if she almost looked that way. They took turns drowsing, reminiscing, looking in on Eve, feeding the babies and pacing.

_We're going to wear a groove in this floor. "_Xena honey, you need to rest. You've barely slept. We all need you at your best."

The worry on her daughter's face was palpable, "She should have woken up by now. Plenty of time has passed for her to… I didn't give her enough herbs to knock her out for so long. She may have an infection. She could… I could lose her. What am I going to do if …"

Cyrene's eyes widened. _I don't think I've heard her acknowledge such fear since Lyceus…_ "Xena! You... I…" She struggled to say something meaningful and comforting and not to just fill up the silence with banal words. She'd had enough of such empty words when her son died and refused to do the same to someone else. "I can understand your fears. But she was healthy before, you have to give her body enough time to heal from this ordeal… ordeals really... Just think about it in a short time she experienced kidnapping, labor, illness, abuse, and surgery. She's experienced so much in a short period of time. Love her by being patient. Don't give in to your fears."

==O==

The warrior recognized the truth in her mother's words as she sat back into her chair and massaged her temples.

Daybreak was shining through the window and her mother was snoring lightly when she next opened her eyes. Xena noticed that sometime in the middle of the night Eve has slipped into the room and lay at the foot of the bed. She stood up and checked on Gabrielle. _I think her fever is starting to come down. I hope it's not just my hopes but a sign of true healing at last. It's been a long night._ _Don't you dare die on me, Gabrielle. _She remembered Mitoa when Hippocrates thought Gabrielle was dead, _but he'd been wrong._ _ Come on, wake up. You're scaring me. Wake up. I know you're in there- prove it. You never ran from anything in your whole life. Come on, fight!_

She could no longer doze and starting pacing to calm her nerves. _Normally, when I'm this nervous I do my sword drills but I don't want to leave her side and I can't exactly do them in here. _After another half candlemark and she was sure Gabrielle's fever had broken. _Now we wait some more. Come on bard, it's all on you._

==O==

Her mother had fetched cheese and bread for all of them to nibble on for breakfast. None of them had wanted to venture out to get a more substantial meal.

Eventually Cyrene led the slightly wiggly Eve out of the room.

_And still we wait. Glad I made that crib extra wide._ They'd placed the babies side by side and Xena quietly sang lullabies to them as she waited. _You always like when I sing to you, Gabrielle._ _Listen, love._ She was still singing quietly when green eye's finally fluttered open and attempted to take in their surroundings.

"Xena?" she tried asking, through fever dry lips. After not getting a reply, Gabrielle struggled to sit up and gasped loudly. She fell back with an exhausted groan but not before seeing the large relieved smile plastered across the warrior's face.

_She's awake. She's back._ Xena could see that Gabrielle was trying to speak but no sound came from her mouth. She carefully propped her up in the bed and gave her some water.

Gabrielle tried to drink greedily since, the water soothed her throat but Xena would only let her drink small amounts at a time.

"Hey, hey, not so fast. You've been out of commission for a while."

The blonde reached down and felt her flaccid stomach and the edge of her incision. _Every part of my body hurts; I'm ready for this pain to just go away._ Gabrielle could barely bring her voice above a whisper, "What happened? The last thing I remember is trying to help Eve but getting myself stomped into the dirt. Is our baby okay? Everything hurts," she complained.

Xena turned and lifted the baby out of his crib and gently placed him in his mother's arms. She sat next to her on the bed and helped her hold the baby until she was sure Gabrielle wouldn't drop him. "A strong healthy boy. Eve's going to be fine, just some cuts and bruises. Mom made it out okay. Neither of them got kicked in the head nor had to give birth. You're the one that had us worried. I thought you'd leave us." Gabrielle remembered Mitoa as well, "Well, how could I leave you?"

Xena carefully unwrapped the infant so Gabrielle could get a good look at him. He opened his eyes and gazed sleepily up at them.

"I think his eyes are going to be blue like you and Toris."

"It's probably too soon to tell, you're being sentimental." Xena reached over and picked up the other baby. "Ya know, he needs a name," she reminded her.

Gabrielle looked up and smiled wanly at her. "His name is Lyceus."

Xena smiled back broadly, "Then I guess his _twin_ over here is Lilla."

FINIS

* * *

AN: You may have noticed some snippets of dialogue from "Is There A Doctor In The House?" - that was intentional. Thanks to the website Whoosh for a link to a transcript of that episode.


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